If you plan to take three or more on-campus courses per term, you'll be considered a full-time Waterloo student. (Most students take five courses each term.) Review the following instructions on how to apply.
If you plan to take one or two courses per term, learn about our part-time studies programs and application process.
Applying to full-time studies
- Review the admission requirements and transfer credit information for your program(s) of interest.
- Some of our programs have transfer credit agreements with Ontario colleges. Check to see if we have an agreement with your program.
- Apply to Waterloo through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) website.
- If you're applying to an Engineering program (excluding Architecture), the application deadline is January 15, 2025.
- The deadline for all other programs is January 31, 2025.
- If you've previously attended Waterloo, complete the Application for Undergraduate Re-Admission form.
- Once we receive your information from the OUAC, we’ll email you with your Waterloo ID number and details of your next steps.
- You'll need to ensure all official documents, transcripts, and any English language test results are sent directly to us from the authorized institutions by the documents deadline.
- Learn about sending required documents.
- Complete your Waterloo Admission Information Form (AIF).
- If you applied for a program in the Faculty of Mathematics or the Faculty of Engineering (excluding Architecture) or to the Computing and Financial Management program, the AIF is required for admission. Tell us why you’re a great fit for your chosen program!
- The AIF is not used for other programs.
- Check your application status on Quest, our online system for students and applicants.
- You can also use Quest to check that we've received your documents.
- If your application is approved, we’ll send you an Offer of Admission and ask you to email your course syllabi so we can begin your transfer credit assessment.
- Accept your Offer of Admission.
- Review your Offer of Admission for any conditions you need to meet.
- Celebrate! We’ll get ready to welcome you to campus and help you get a great start as you begin your studies with us.
- Let us take care of finding a place to live with a guaranteed spot in an upper-year residence.
Applying to co-op programs
If you're interested in a co-op program, you must check the co-op box on your OUAC application.
If you apply to a co-op program that is also offered as a regular program and you're not admitted to co-op, you may be considered for the regular program if spaces are available.
Applying to the Architecture program
You may receive up to 1.5 transfer credits for courses taken at university. No transfer credits will be awarded for courses taken at a college.
Transfer students are eligible for admission to the first year of the program only.
Applying to Engineering programs
You may apply to only one Waterloo Engineering program, including Software Engineering. If you wish, you can apply to Architecture and an Engineering program.
You can request consideration for an additional Engineering program on your Admission Information Form (AIF). You'll receive instructions for completing your AIF once you've applied.
Engineering programs may grant a couple of transfer credits if you're transferring from another Canadian university. Transfer credits are not available in the Biomedical Engineering or Systems Design Engineering programs.
Transfer credit will not be awarded for courses taken at college. Transfer students are usually eligible for admission only to the first year of Waterloo’s five-year Engineering programs.
Applying to math and computer science programs
Admission to Computer Science is extremely competitive with very few spaces (if any) available for transfer students.
Transfer students are not eligible for the following programs.
- Business Administration (Laurier) and Computer Science (Waterloo) Double Degree
- Business Administration (Laurier) and Mathematics (Waterloo) Double Degree
- Computing and Financial Management
- Mathematics/Chartered Professional Accountancy
Submitting documents
We require transcripts from your high school and all post-secondary institutions you have attended and/or are attending. You can request transcripts from Ontario colleges and universities through MyCredsTM or when you apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre.
- In the meantime, you can upload unofficial high school and college/university transcripts of completed and in-progress courses so that we can review your application and make a decision.
- Arrange to have your college and/or university send us an official final transcript by the deadline listed on your Offer of Admission.
- Learn about sending required documents.
Course syllabi
As part of the process of evaluating your transfer credits we need to review the content of the courses you've taken. You'll need to submit detailed course descriptions/syllabi for the courses you've completed or are in the process of completing. Your admissions officer will reach out for more information.
Brief calendar descriptions are not sufficient for transfer credit assessment. Please contact us (see below) if detailed course descriptions/syllabi are not available from your institution.
Course syllabi are not required if you're applying to Engineering or Software Engineering.
Submitting course syllabi
Send us a copy of the course outline/syllabus for each course you have taken or are taking. See an example of a course syllabus.
Send your course syllabi to
Office of the Registrar
University of Waterloo
200 University Ave W
Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 CANADA
Email: myapplication@uwaterloo.ca
Please include your full name, program(s) applied to, Waterloo ID number, and OUAC reference number in your correspondence. If you're emailing course descriptions, please send them in PDF format.